Cayla M. Robinson, and her family, are originally from Florence, Kentucky, which is known for the “Florence Y’all” water tower and the Y’alls minor league baseball team.
Cayla is the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Public Health’s (CPH) liaison with the UK Libraries on campus and aids with literature searching, database usage, and research support needs (including systematic and scoping reviews) for students, faculty, and staff.
But what does that exactly mean in terms of valuable services that folks can take advantage of? We asked Cayla that very question.
“I may be biased, but I think we offer a ton of awesome services,” said Cayla. “For students, I offer a personalized consultation service to help refine research questions, find articles and reports for assignments, use citation management tools, and teach about the different databases and resources the library offers.”
And it does not stop there as Cayla helps staff and faculty too.
“I have had the opportunity to work on some really cool projects with faculty and staff including teaching classes, systematic and scoping reviews, and grant funding work,” said Cayla.
With many services, like the library, there can sometimes be general misconceptions, barriers, or challenges. For Cayla, she offers guidance on overcoming the misconceptions of libraries housing too much information and being overwhelming.
“A common misconception is that there is way too much information to be found through the library and learning to navigate your university’s library isn’t going to be useful once you graduate,” said Cayla. “After graduating, you will probably need to construct some type of information search eventually. Knowing how to find and evaluate information is invaluable and transferable. I also make sure to show databases that can be accessed by everyone.”
Cayla acknowledges that the library, for some, can be daunting and scary. However, it does not have to be.
“I personally do not think I’m scary, quite the contrary, but it can be daunting to approach someone with a question,” said Cayla. “My biggest goal is to be approachable. It may be my job, but please know that I genuinely love hearing from you and listening to/answering your questions.”
Since joining UK in 2021, Cayla has helped a myriad of students with their research and assignments.
“For me, the most successful interactions come when I show students some resources that they’re able to apply immediately to other classes or aspects of their research,” said Cayla. “It was particularly cool to see some posters at the recent Public Health Showcase of projects I recognized!
Cayla also sees a lot of opportunities to partner with more first-generation students.
“I definitely see opportunities to work with first-generation students. It is important for students to know the library’s available services and resources,” says Cayla. “Teaching these services and skills is part of my job, and I would love to connect with more first-generation public health students, whether that is 1-on-1 or in a dedicated class.”
Contacting Cayla
So, where do you start with Cayla? Just contact her – it's that simple!
“You can contact me by email, and it does not have to be anything formal,” said Cayla. “You can also schedule an appointment or come to the Medical Center Library and ask for me.”
Cayla received her Master of Science in Library Science in May of 2021 from the University of Kentucky and has been at the Medical Center Library in different capacities since 2019. She also received her undergraduate degree from Eastern Kentucky University in English Language and Literature. In addition, Cayla recently earned her Tier 1 Systematic Review Specialization.
She has recently learned how to figure skate and has performed in a few recitals. She plans to take her first medal test in figure skating within the next year.
Click here to connect with Cayla and learn about all her services for CPH students, faculty, and staff.
To learn more about our programs, people, and passion for public health, visit cph.uky.edu.
